In Short:
The Department of Telecommunications has announced Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and Reliance Jio as the final bidders for the spectrum auction of 10,523.15 MHz of 5G airwaves worth Rs 96,317.65 crore. The Earnest Money Deposit amounts are Rs 1,050 crore for Airtel, Rs 300 crore for Vodafone Idea, and Rs 3,000 crore for Reliance Jio. Certain bands were not auctioned due to supply shortages.
Department of Telecommunications Releases Final Bidders List for Spectrum Auction
New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications has announced the final bidders for the spectrum auction in various band categories. Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and Reliance Jio Infocomm have been named as the final bidders for the auction of 10,523.15 MHz of 5G airwaves worth Rs 96,317.65 crore in eight key bands.
The Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) amounts for the bidders are as follows: Airtel – Rs 1,050 crore, Vodafone Idea – Rs 300 crore, and Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd – Rs 3,000 crore.
The Department of Telecommunications has allocated eligibility points to the bidders: Airtel – 7,613 points, Vodafone Idea – 2,200 points, and Reliance Jio – 21,363 points.
Band Categories
The auction included airwaves in the 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz bands. Notably, the premium 5G airwaves in the 700 MHz band were not auctioned this time around due to supply constraints.
Regulations and Renewals
Companies with expiring licenses and spectrum in 2024, and who do not hold spectrum purchased in previous auctions, will be treated as “new entrants.” The net worth eligibility for bidders is pegged at Rs 100 crore per LSA, except for Jammu & Kashmir and Northeast circles where the requirement is Rs 50 crore.
Airtel and Vodafone Idea need to renew their airwaves in specific circles, with Airtel focusing on J&K, Odisha, Bihar, UP (East), West Bengal, and Assam, while Vodafone Idea needs to renew in West Bengal and UP West circles.
Previous Auction and Revenue Generation
In the previous spectrum sale in July 2022, which was India’s first 5G auction, the government generated over Rs 1.5 lakh crore revenue. The auction offered over 72 GHz of airwaves across 10 5G bands for a 20-year term, with a combined value of Rs 4.3 lakh crore at reserve prices.
